The Junction system allows the user to replicate the powers of a sorceress via the storage and control of magical powers and Guardian Forces. The system can store 32 different forms of Para-Magic with a stock of 100 units of each form. The system acts as a type of filter, filtering out magic (known as drawing) from a being or entity and storing it ready to be used or junctioned by the user. This allows the user to possess near superhuman abilities, such as increased speed and strength, as well as being able to use magic. Various Junction systems are seen in wide use in the military forces.

The game's original Japanese version has a Junction glitch that lets the player junction magic to more than one stat. The glitch was fixed to western localizations.

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The Junction system isn't based on the traditional specialization of characters, weapons and armor in a typical Final Fantasy game, and because general enemies are always about the same level as the player's characters, simple leveling up does not help gain an advantage over the enemy. Without utilizing the Junction system, characters will be unable to use abilities other than Attack during battle.

By junctioning Guardian Forces (GF) to the party members, the player can customize them in terms of stat upgrading, ability commands that can be used in battle, and later on, what elemental and status ailment attack/resistances that character has. What precisely can be upgraded depends on the GFs the player has junctioned, and what the GF has learned.

To upgrade any stat and/or attack/resistance, magic can be junctioned to the stat provided a GF junctioned to the character in question has learned the corresponding Junction ability. The more magic junctioned, the better the effect.

To upgrade basic stats, for example HP and Strength (Str), any magic can be used for junctioning, but some magic will have a larger effect on certain stats; for example, junctioning the Haste spell to the character's Speed stat boosts their speed to a much larger degree than junctioning Scan or Fire.

Upgrading elemental attacks/resistances (Elem-Atk/Elem-Def) (if the GF has learned the abilities) generally requires elemental magic. Junctioning Fire to an Elem-Def stat will increase a character's resistance to fire-elemental attacks; the more Fire magic junctioned, the better the resistance. Some other magic will provide multiple resistances, notably Ultima that provides resistance for all elements. Junctioning elemental magic to the Elem-Atk stat will cause the character's normal attack to posses an elemental property, giving advantage against some enemies.

Similarly, upgrading status ailment attacks/resistances (ST-Atk/ST-Def) (if the GF has learned the abilities) generally requires magic that causes or cures status ailments. Junctioning Death to ST-Def will make a character resistant to instant death attacks, while Junctioning Death to ST-Atk will allow a character to cause instant death when executing a normal attack.

Players can choose to auto assign magic to stats, Elem-Atk/Def and ST-Atk/Def by using the Auto command in the junctioning menu. The player can auto assign magic giving priority to Strength, Magic or Defense; despite the name of the last one, choosing Defense in fact prioritizes HP.

To use command abilities in battle (and in the case of Draw, in the field), characters require them to be junctioned. The abilities available depend on the GFs junctioned, but do not require magic. In the same way, the Character/Party support abilities also require junctioning, but do not require magic.

Other than action commands, passive abilities can be junctioned. A character starts out with two slots, but can gain three or four, where party or ally-abilities can be junctioned. For example, if a GF has learned the ability HP+20%, it must be junctioned to one of the slots to be activated.

Ultimecia'sEX Mode is to junction Griever. In her EX Mode, in addition to the standard Regen status and increased probability for critical hits, Ultimecia gains the special attack Time Crush, which stuns opponents for several seconds upon a successful execution.

TCG
Junction is a game mechanic possessed by Final Fantasy VIII character cards. When a Forward uses Junction, they pay the Summon cost for an Eidolon card in their hand (as well as the cost to use the Forward's Junction ability, if applicable) and remove that Eidolon from the game. As long as that card is removed from the game, the Forward is now considered "Junctioned" and gains various abilities that differ for each card.